Sliderless fastener closure



F 9 E. F. SVEC HAL 2,823,720

SLIDERLESS FASTENER CLOSURE Original Filed 001;. 26, 1954 Figz/ if AM" '3;

M ml 1- HM I [HI EHZZJFE flu/L F SvEc 154254 r./. SMLLER United States Patent SLIDERLESS FASTENER CLOSURE Emil F. Svec, New York, N. Y., and Karel J. Staller, Rutherford, N. 1., assignors to Flexigrip Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application October 26, 1954, Serial No. 464,867, now Patent No. 2,780,261, dated February 5, 1957. Divided and this application August 16, 1956, Serial No. 605,460

4 Claims. (Cl. 150-3) container closed by the fastener to be opened quickly and easily andin which the risk of accidental opening is reduced to a minimum.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of animproved fastener comprising two fiat overlapping closure strips having offset enlarged marginal reinforcements; wherein the reinforcements have confronting faces,

each of the faces containing at least one ridge and at least one groove aligned with and adapted for resilient locking engagement with the grooves and ridges on the other reinforcement and vice versa, and wherein one of the reinforcements has means formed integrally therewith extending longitudinally the entire length thereof for separating the reinforcements to provide an opening into a container closed by the fastener.

One of the main features of this invention is to provide a pouch-like container with an improved form of fastener, in which a pouch, or the like is formed of front and back sheet-like walls having mated edges united together to define a container and in which the free upper edges of the walls are spaced from each other to define an opening. The opening, in turn, is provided with the instant improved fastener which allows the pouch to be hermetically sealed on the one hand, and easily opened on the other. This improved fastener comprises two overlapping closure strips secured to the free upper edges of the front and back walls of the pouch and extending the length thereof. The free marginal edges of the overlapping closure strips are enlarged or thickened to form offset reinforcement portions, which due to the overlapping relationship of the closure strips, have confronting faces. One or more longitudinally extending grooves and ridges are formed on each of the confronting faces of the reinforcements such that the ridges on one reinforcement are aligned with and adapted for resilient hermetically sealed locking engagement with the, grooves on the other reinforcement, and vice versa. One of the reinforcements is provided with an integral flange and/or frictional engagement surface extending longitudinally along the entire length of the reinforcement. Such flange and/or frictional engagement surfaces provide eflicient means by which the reinforcement or marginal edges of the closure strips may be easily separated to, provide an opening into the pouch- By frictional engagement surfaces is meant a surface provided with suitable projec- ,tions ,scrrations or the like, which materially aid inman- 2,823,720 Patented Feb. 18, 1858 ice 2 ually grasping or engaging the closure strip in opening the same.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like parts are labeled with like number, and in which;

Figure l is a front elevational view of a pouch or similar container having the novel sliderless fastener of the instant invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line Il-II of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged detail view of Fig. 2.

In accordance with the instant invention. a pouch, or similar container, shown generally at 11 in Figure 1, is provided with a sliderless fastener closure shown generally at 12.

The: pouch. 11 includes a resilient sheet-like back wall 13 and a resilient sheet-like front wall 14 substantially coextensive therewith and secured to the back wall along the side edges, as at 15 and 16 and the bottom edge 17. Preferably the back and front walls 13 and 14 are made of sheets of thermoplastic synthetic resin materials such as. polyvinyl chloride; polyvinylid ene chloride, halogenated polyethylenes, polyvinyl acetate, and polyethylene, and copolymers, heteropolymers and mixtures thereof. Such materials are substantially impervious to air and moisture, and may be prepared in suitable thin resilient sheets which are translucent, and substantially transparcut, so as to be suitable for use in the instant pouch 11. The front and back walls 13 and 14 may be suitably heatsealed, sewed or glued together, or both, along their marginal edges 15, 16 and 17, so as to define a suitable air-tight and moisture proof container portion for the pouch 11.

The back wall 13 may extend upwardly a short distance. beyond the front wall 14, as shown best in Figures 2 and 3.

As best illustrated in Figure 2, the back wall 13 extends upwardly a short distance beyond the top 14a of the front wall 14. The top 13a of the back wall 13 is substantially parallel to but spaced upwardly from the top 14a of the front wall 14, along the free or unsecured .edge portions of such walls 13 and 14, so as to define what amounts to an elongated slot-like opening that is substantially coplanar with the front wall 14, and which is adapted to be closed by the instant closure or fastener arrangement 12.

As shown in Figure 2, the fastener or closure arrangement 12 comprises a pair of overlapping strips 18 and 19. The closure strips 18 and 19 are. coextensive with the top portions 13a and 14a of the back and front walls 13 and 14 and span the opening described therebetween. The top edge 18a of the closure strip 18 is sealingly engaged to the top portion 13a of the back wall 13, while the edge portion 19a of the closure strip 19 is sealingly engaged and preferably integral with the front wall 14, such as at the upper edge 14a. This sealing of the closure or fastener 12 to the pouch 11 is preferably effected by heat sealing, glueing or the like. The end portions of the closure strips 18 and 19, likewise, are. sealed to the edges 15 and 16 of the pouch 11 so as to provide a complete seal for the elongated slot-like opening defined by the front and back walls 13 and 14, as described.

Each of the strips 18 and 19 can be, and preferably is conveniently fabricated by extrusion through a suitable die followed by severing the extruded strips to appropri ate lengths, Suitable materials for manufacturing the strips 18 and 19 include the thermoplastic and thermosetting organic synthetic resins referred to above in describingthe pouch 11. p

sectional configurations.

Of particular importance for this use are the vinyl type resins such as polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate copolymers, and similar Vinyl resins and polyethylenes and rubber, either natural or synthetic. Rubber, however, is not a preferred starting material, since, in the case of rubber, it is more diflicult to control the degree of rigidity for interlocking engagement between the strips 18 and 19. However, by

extremities of the marginal reinforcements 20 and 21 are crimped together so as to merge into the end portions of the closure strip 12 at the edges 15 and 16.

As noted in the drawings, the closure strips 18 and 19 are provided to overlap so that the faces of the reinforcements 20 and 21 are in overlapping confronting relationship. The confronting faces of the reinforcements have a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 30 and ridges 31 formed integrally therewith such that the grooves 30 on the reinforcement 20 and the ridges '31 onthe reinforcement 21, and vice versa, are in aligned relationship so as to be adapted for resilient hermetically sealed locking engagement with one another.

This hermetically sealed resilient locking engagement is accomplished by forming the reinforcement 20 and re- I inforcement 21 so as to have substantially identical cross As may be noted, the reinforcements 20 and 21 present alloehirally mateable grooves 30 and ridges 31, on the contiguous confronting faces thereof. The grooves 30 and ridges 31 are arranged substantially normal to, or at right angles to, the planes of the closure strips 18 and 19, or the planes of the flat, un'reinforced web portions of the closure strips 18 and 19 such as at 18b and 19b. The grooves 30 in one of the reinforcements correspond in shape to the ridges 31 in the other of the reinforcements, and vice versa. Of course, one or more ridges may be employed in each reinforcement, with an equal number of grooves arranged substantially as shown in the drawings.

The head portion 'of each ridge 31 is enlarged and the neck portion is constricted, so as to form an ad- 'jacent' complementary groove 30 with restricted opening thereinto and an enlarged bottom portion, as shown.

In this manner, a groove 30 in one of the reinforcefirst leg 36 formed integrally with the reinforcement 21 by means of an arcuately shaped thinner connecting land portion 37. A second, downwardly extending leg 38 is formed integrally with the first leg 36 and is adapted to overlie the marginal reinforcement 21 in a close parallel relationship. A foot 39 is formed integrally with the first leg 36 and engages the closure strip 18 and provides an extended lever arm for easier disengagement of ridges 33 and grooves 32. When it is desired to open the pouch 11 one merely grasps the second leg 38 of the flange 29 and pulls it outwardly causing the flange to fulcrum on the foot 39, which results in smooth disengagement of the ridges 33 from the grooves 32 in the reinforcements 20 and 21. In addition, the arcuate land portion 37 connecting the first leg 36 and the reinforcement 21 allows limited flexing movement of the flange 29 without the grooves and ridges on the reinforcements 20 and 21 becoming accidentally disengaged. The structure shown is especially suitable in providing heavier fastenings of larger dimensions for use in industrial purposes, such as for example in the water-tight boots and the like.

There are a number of distinct advantages in forming the flanges used in opening the instant sliderless fastener integral with one of the reinforced marginal portions along substantially the entire length thereof. One such advantage, as noted previously, is that the closure strips may be separated by grasping the flange anywhere along the length thereof.

A more important advantage, however, is in the economy of producing the instant closure strips. Opening flaps or flanges which have been provided on similar closure strips employed heretofore have always comprised separate pieces which are affixed to the closure strip subsequent to the extrusion thereof.

In this invention however, the flange grasped in opening the closure member is formed integral and simultaneously with the closure strip as the strip is being extruded. This not only eliminates an additional step in the manufacturing of the fastener, but also provides a stronger means for grasping the closure strips.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that we have now provided a new and improved sliderless form ments 20 or 21 corresponds in shape to the ridge 31- in the other reinforcement, and vice versa. The head portion of each of the outermost ridges 31 has an undercut engaging surface 33c providing a portion overhanging the adjacent groove 30 adapted to engage a-similar undercut surface of an opposite inwardly adjacent ridge 33.

The undercut surfaces 33c may be inclined or may be in a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the reinforcement, and substantially aligned therewith.

Each of the inner ridges 33 (of which there are four) formed on the confronting faces of the reinforcements -20 and 21, however, have undercut surfaces 34 on both sides of each ridge 33 which form corresponding overhanging portions on both sides of the corresponding groove 32. In -cross section the ridges and grooves 33 and 32 have the general configuration of an anchor,.

and when the undercut portions 34 on the ridges 33 of one of the reinforcements are in locking engagement with the undercut portions 34 of the ridges on the opposite rein- 'forcement the ridges '33 are held tightly against lateral of fastener for pouchlike containers in which the fastener is provided with a novel means to facilitate the separation of the fastener elements to provide an opening into a pouch closed or sealed by the structure.

,having mated edges united together todefine a container and having corresponding free upper edges spaced from each other to define an opening into said container on the front side thereof, a first closure strip secured to the free upper edge of said back wall to extend the length thereof and downwardly therefrom, a second closure strip secured to the upper free edge of said front wall to extend the length thereof and upwardly therefrom to overlap said first closure strip, said closure strips having olfset in- 't'egral thickened marginal reinforcements, said reinforcements having on confronting faces longitudinally extend.- ing grooves and ridges, each groove in one of said reinforcements being aligned with a corresponding ridge in the opposite reinforcement and vice versa and adapted for resilient locking engagement therewith, and a downwardly extending flange integral with and generally parallel to the marginal reinforcement on said second closure'strip and extendinglongitudinally the entire length thereof whereby said reinforcements can be separated to provide an opening into said container by grasping said flange and pulling the same away from said first closure strip.

2. A pouch comprising front and back sheet-like walls having mated edges united together to define a container and having corresponding free upper edges spaced from each other to define an opening into said container on the front side thereof, a first closure strip secured to the free upper edge of said back Wall to extend the length thereof and downwardly therefrom, a second closure strip secured to the upper free edge of said front wall to extend the length thereof and upwardly therefrom to overlap said first closure strip, said closure strips having offset integral thickened marginal reinforcements, said reinforcements having on confronting faces longitudinally extending grooves and ridges, each groove in one of said reinforcements being aligned with a corresponding ridge in the opposite reinforcement and vice versa and adapted for resilient locking engagement therewith, and a flange integral with the marginal reinforcement on said second closure strip extending longitudinally the entire length thereof, said flange having a laterally extending first leg integral with and normal to said marginal reinforcement of said second closure strip and a second downwardly extending leg integral with said first leg and in close parallel relationship to said marginal reinforcement on said second closure strip whereby said reinforcements can be separated to provide an opening into said container by grasping said flange and pulling the same away from said first closure strip.

3. A pouch comprising front and back sheet-like walls having mated edges united together to define a container body and having corresponding free upper edges parallel to and spaced from each other to define an opening into said container body on the front side thereof, a first closure strip secured to the free upper edge of said back wall to extend the length thereof and downwardly therefrom, a second closure strip secured to the upper free edge of said front wall to extend the length thereof and upwardly therefrom to overlap said first closure strip, said closure strips having offset integral thickened marginal reinforcements, said reinforcements having on confronting faces longitudinally extending grooves and ridges, each groove in one of said reinforcements being aligned with a corresponding ridge in the opposite reinforcement and vice versa and adapted for resilient locking engagement therewith, the two outermost of said ridges each having an enlarged head portion and a single inwardly projecting portion overhanging the adjacent groove and each of the inwardly lying ridges having a similar projecting portion on each side thereof to overhang the cor-- responding grooves, and an integral flange on said second closure strip having a foot portion engaging said first closure strip and having a downwardly extending flange generally parallel to and spaced from the marginal reinforcement on said second closure strip and extending longitudinally the entire length thereof, whereby said reinforcements can be separated to provide an opening into said container by grasping said downwardly extending flange and pulling outwardly with said foot: portion as a fulcrum to effect disengagement of the ridges of one closure strip from the ridges of 'the other closure strip.

4. A sliderless fastener closure comprising first and second closure strips of flexible synthetic plastic integrally united at their respective ends and arranged in confronting overlapping relationship throughout their lengths, each of said closure strips having offset integral thickened marginal reinforcements, said reinforcements having on confronting faces a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves and ridges, each groove in one of said reinforcements being aligned with a corresponding ridge in the opposite reinforcement and vice versa and adapted for resilient locking engagement therewith, each of the outermost pair of ridges on the respective marginal reinforcements having a single projection inwardly directed to overlie the adjacent groove and each of the other ridges having a similar overhanging projection on each side thereof overhanging corresponding adjacent grooves, and an integral flange on one of said marginal reinforcements providing a foot portion normally in engagement with the other of said closure strips and also providing a grasping portion extending longitudinally the entire free length of said closure strips and overlying said one marginal reinforcement in closely spaced parallel relation thereto, whereby said grasping portion may be manually pulled away from said first marginal reinforcement to effect a separation of said marginal reinforcements and an opening of said closure.

No references cited. 

